Hi,
In Christianity what does it say about being inherently sinful, and that we have sinful nature? What does it mean?? I have read and I gather that we are all born sinners, because of Adam and Eve? How can this still be when baby newborns are pure and guiltless, what can they do because of Adam's fault
Not all Christians necessarily subscribe to Original Sin in the classic sense, the Eastern Churches subscribe to the idea of Ancestral Sin, but only the Western Churches subscribe to Original Sin as inherited sinf/sinfulness.
What Original Sin is not: Original Sin does not mean that we are guilty for Adam's sin. We aren't guilty for anything except our own sinful actions.
What Original Sin is: Original Sin is the idea that we have all inherited a sinful condition, the proclivity to sin, the drive toward sin. Theologians call this concupiscence, it is the inward-facing desire, the "lusts of the flesh" as it were. It's the drive and desire to satisfy ourselves. It's not merely desire, as in, "I am hungry, and so I desire food." It is instead the perversion of the natural appetites. It is desire oriented inward to myself, and away and against others. Lutherans have another term for this, we call this
homo incurvatus in se, Latin for "man bent inward upon himself", the "inwardly curved man". This is man who seeks himself, whose desires are oriented to gratify himself even at the expense of his neighbor. To put himself first, to lift himself up, to prioritize himself, the pursuit of his own glory.
It is this which we have all inherited, an instinct, a drive, which is bent and curved inward. This inward drive is sinful, and it bears sinful fruit. It is from this which springs actual sins--envy, pride, murder, theft, greed, malice, violence, hatred, cursing, etc.
We are all conceived, and thus born, with this part of our humanity--a broken, fallen part of our humanity. We do not believe anyone is culpable for anything except their own actions, and thus obviously infants have not yet committed any sins--but each of us bears in ourselves the innate drive toward sin borne out of an inborn illness and ailment; of a will corrupted and driven inward and against others.
also what can be done to be accepted by Jesus, despite this inherent sin?
Nothing. But then, there's nothing we need to do to be accepted by Jesus, because Jesus is the One who accepts us. A physician does not come for the healthy, but the sick. Christ came to save sinners. And so, as sinners, we have been called and saved by a God of love and kindness, and He has done this through Jesus Christ, so that in Christ though we are sinners we have been made God's children by grace. Christ makes us acceptable. Because in Him is found forgiveness of sins, a perfect righteousness, and the grace of God which renders us holy. And so we have the good news of God saving us by His grace alone in Christ alone, and are called to devote ourselves to lives as disciples of Jesus, loving our fellow man in imitation of Christ.
We do not seek good works in order to be accepted by God, we seek good works in order to love our neighbor.
Do we have to repent because of Adam's sin? How can this be achieved?
Thank you..
We repent because of our own sin. The call to repentance is a call to dying to ourselves, to take up our cross and follow Jesus and share in His suffering as we devote ourselves to loving and serving others. Repentance is part of the daily cross we must carry in this life as we learn how to die to ourselves and our passions, and putting our hope and trust in the Christ who saves us. To orient our minds forward to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, as we run the race of this life.
-CryptoLutheran